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Apple Acquires Transit Service HopStop to Further Improve its Maps App
Apple has acquired transit service HopStop.com to improve its mapping service, reports Bloomberg. News of the deal comes just hours after the reported purchase of Locationary, a company that focuses on location crowdsourcing.
According to its website, HopStop, which also has an iOS app, is a service that is designed to offer detailed subway, bus, train, taxi, walking and biking directions to more than 600 cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The service’s App Store description also notes that it provides HopStop Live! functionality that allows its users to communicate in real-time about stations, train lines, and buses, relaying potential delays and other pertinent information.
Apple's Maps app, which was introduced alongside the iPhone 5 after a move away from Google Maps, has been widely criticized for both its poor directions and its glaring lack of public transportation directions. Currently, the app redirects users to third party mapping applications when public transit routes are required.
As with its acquisition of Locationary, HopStop will allow Apple to strengthen its mapping services, incorporating accurate, real-time information on public transportation routes and improved walking/biking directions.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) agreed to buy online transit-navigation service HopStop.com Inc., people with knowledge of the deal said, seeking to improve mapping tools after a rocky debut for its directions software last year.Apple has confirmed the acquisition in a statement to AllThingsD, but declined to comment further: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."
According to its website, HopStop, which also has an iOS app, is a service that is designed to offer detailed subway, bus, train, taxi, walking and biking directions to more than 600 cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
The service’s App Store description also notes that it provides HopStop Live! functionality that allows its users to communicate in real-time about stations, train lines, and buses, relaying potential delays and other pertinent information.
Apple's Maps app, which was introduced alongside the iPhone 5 after a move away from Google Maps, has been widely criticized for both its poor directions and its glaring lack of public transportation directions. Currently, the app redirects users to third party mapping applications when public transit routes are required.
As with its acquisition of Locationary, HopStop will allow Apple to strengthen its mapping services, incorporating accurate, real-time information on public transportation routes and improved walking/biking directions.
[ 163 comments ]
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63 months ago
//forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1611850
So they are just going to buy a bunch of companies and mash the data together. Worked out real well on launch, didn't it?
Apple just needs to let Apple Maps die. They are going to spend the next decade throwing away lots of money for a product that will never be as accurate as the competition.
License Google's data, eating whatever concessions they need to and put it into their own app.
Ummm, no.
63 months ago
//forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1611850
So they are just going to buy a bunch of companies and mash the data together. Worked out real well on launch, didn't it?
Apple just needs to let Apple Maps die. They are going to spend the next decade throwing away lots of money for a product that will never be as accurate as the competition.
License Google's data, eating whatever concessions they need to and put it into their own app.
As if that's not exactly what google did? Maybe do a little research before you comment about stuff you don't know about.
63 months ago
In before Google fanboys coming to complain about Apple trying to improve its Mapping solution. Because how dare they :rolleyes:
63 months ago
//forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1611850
So they are just going to buy a bunch of companies and mash the data together. Worked out real well on launch, didn't it?
Apple just needs to let Apple Maps die. They are going to spend the next decade throwing away lots of money for a product that will never be as accurate as the competition.
License Google's data, eating whatever concessions they need to and put it into their own app.
What ignorance. Apple isn't throwing away any money. They have already saved tons of money in license fees that don't get paid to Google anymore. Google still wants to sell its customers to the advertisers, so they have to make their own Google Maps available for free.
And maps don't stand still. The maps that Google has today will be worthless in four years time. Over the next four years, Google will have to pay out as much as Apple does to keep up with Apple. Worse for Google, they haven't only lost the platform already that makes the most money (iOS), they will lose the Macintosh market when Mavericks is released, and I bet Apple will make their maps available on Windows and Android as well.
63 months ago
Glad they're improving maps! I've personally never had any issues with them, but it's definitely great to see they're improving them for the people who actually do have issues.
63 months ago
Look forward seeing the result in next monday's iOS7 update...
I hardly think they work that quick!
63 months ago
In before Google fanboys coming to complain about Apple trying to improve its Mapping solution. Because how dare they :rolleyes:
Which mapping solution? :p
63 months ago
You seem to miss out on what important feature - Google didn't completely and utterly fail like Apple did.
Looks like you're the one that didn't do his research.
Ha ha, Apple Maps didn't completely failed. It worked okay for most of my use cases in US. It's more bad in foreign countries.
A lot of Google projects didn't work great from day one too. Google just released them as "beta".
Just keep improving and tapping on the developers. They are Apple's best friends and problem fixers ! It is possible that Apple is already working with Locationary and HopSpot before acquiring them. After all they need to make sure the companies are a good fit. Can't wait for iOS7 and "iOS in the Car".
They hired the Amazon search engine lead 1-2 years ago. The Locationary business database will clearly enhance Siri and general location search too.
63 months ago
//forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1611850
So they are just going to buy a bunch of companies and mash the data together. Worked out real well on launch, didn't it?
Apple just needs to let Apple Maps die. They are going to spend the next decade throwing away lots of money for a product that will never be as accurate as the competition.
License Google's data, eating whatever concessions they need to and put it into their own app.
So they are just going to buy a bunch of companies and mash the data together. Worked out real well on launch, didn't it?
Apple just needs to let Apple Maps die. They are going to spend the next decade throwing away lots of money for a product that will never be as accurate as the competition.
License Google's data, eating whatever concessions they need to and put it into their own app.
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